The aim of this website is to locate, identify and document every historical Warplane preserved in Canada. Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these aircraft to provide and update the data on this website. Photos are by the author unless otherwise credited. Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, corrections or amendments to this list of Warplanes in Canada would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author athskaarup@rogers.com.

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, RCAF (Serial No. 104731), C/N 683A-1031, painted as (Serial No. 12763), which is the aircraft that wore this paint scheme while in service. The real CF-104 (Serial No. 12763), is with the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.

McDonnell CF-101B Voodoo, (Serial No. 101030), USAF (Serial No. 57-0354), C/N 532, formerly on display on the grounds of RRMC, Victoria. 101030 was originally built for the US Air Force as an F-101B-90-MC, c/n 532. It served in the USAF with the 444th Fighter-Interceptor Sqn at Charleston AFB in South Carolina. As part of Operation Peace Wings, it joined the Canadian Forces on 28 July 1971 with 409 Sqn at CFB Comox. Later it served with 425 Sqn at CFB Bagotville, Quebec. It became Instructional Air Frame 827B on 11 July 1984 and was later struck off on 15 May 1990. It was on display in Victoria, BC before moving to the Comox Air Force Museum.

Supermarine Spitfire HF Mk. IXe, (Serial No. TE294), painted as (Serial No. MK304), Y2K. The original Y2-K, MK304, was produced at Castle Bromwich, albeit as a Merlin 66-powered LF Mk IXe. Delivered to 39MU in January 1944, it served briefly with No. 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron before being transferred to No. 442 Squadron RCAF on 7 February. The remains of this fighter were rescured from a South African scrapyard in the 1990s and partly rebuilt by volunteers at the Comox Air Force Museum as a millennium project and as an homage to the wartime pilots of 442 Squadron. 442 is currently an RCAF Search and Rescue Squadron based at 19 Wing, Comox. Restored at Vintage Wings of Canada, TE294 is now airworthy, and was first flown 7 June 2017. It is painted as (Serial No. MK304), Y2-K as flown by Flt Lt Arnold Roseland, RCAF No. 442 Squadron.

(RCAF Photo)

Y2K is dedicated to and carries the name of Flight Lieutenant Arnold Roseland of 442 Squadron. Roseland was one of only a handful of Canadian fighter pilots who fought both the Japanese and the Germans during the war. “Rosey” Roseland was a member of 14 Squadron, a P-40 Kittyhawk unit flying in the home defence of Canada’s West Coast and in combat operations in the Aleutian Island chain against Japanese Army and Navy positions on the island of Kiska. Later in the war, 14 Squadron became 442 Squadron, reforming at RCAF Station Rockcliffe in Ottawa before going overseas and transitioning en masse to the Supermarine Spitfire. Roseland flew in a Spitfire with the letter “K” on the side, “K” being used by at least three aircraft he had flown since 18 March 1944. Roseland’s flight record in the Spitfire included 117 flights totaling 130 hours and 10 minutes. He flew more than 50% of his Spitfire operations in a Y2-K–marked aircraft, making that aircraft in the squadron truly “his”. In his nearly two years on P-40s and P-40 Kittyhawks before going to Europe, Rosey had 220 flights and 348 hours, flying out of Great Britain and France.

F/L Roseland was flying one of the Spitfires marked with the letter “K” when he shot down a pair of Focke-Wulf Fw 190s. He flew “K” on three separate sorties on30 June 1944, just two weeks before he was killed. His Squadron Intelligence officer typed it out afterward for his combat reports:

“I was flying Yellow 3 in 442 Squadron which was on patrol heading due south at 1800’ just under layer of cloud in the vicinity of VILLER BOCAGE. I suddenly spotted 4 FW 190’s flying due North directly below yellow flight. I immediately broke 180º and down to attack at the same time reporting the presence of e/a [Enemy Aircraft] to the remainder of the squadron. The e/a sighted me and began climbing all out for cloud using violent evasive action but still in fairly compact formation and turning slightly to starboard. I attacked second from left from 20º to 0º opening fire from approx 450 yds. My first burst struck engine and cockpit and e/a began to smoke. I closed in slightly to line astern and my second burst hit tail and e/a immediately burst into flame and rolled over onto its back. I broke starboard and positioned myself on e/a to starboard, which was very near cloud. My port cannon jammed and I had difficulty in getting strikes on e/a which was using violent evasive action. By the time it entered cloud it was smoking badly. I followed into cloud for 30 sec. then diving slightly spotted e/a directly ahead. My starboard cannon also ceased firing so I fired short burst of M/G [Machine Gun - Ed.] until within 50 yards. E/A dove into cloud at an angle of 45º. Pilot apparently bailed out while in cloud. First e/a confirmed by F/L Wright.

I claim 2 FW 190’s DESTROYED. Cine gun used [gun camera]

(SGD), A. Roseland. F/L.”

Arnold Roseland was just 28 years old when he died in an aerial gunfight over Normandy in the summer of 1944. The 442 Sqn Operational Record Book, (ORB) for 13 July 1944 records he was flying another Spitfire, Y2P and that, "F/L A.W. Roseland, the Flight Commander of “B” Flight chased a Hun into the clouds and was not seen again." He apparently died when his parachute caught on the tail of his burning Spitfire and he was thrown to his death when the aircraft struck the ground. Since that day, Rosey’s remains have lain in a well-tended grave site at the Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery in Calvados, France. (Dave O’Malley, Roseland Spitfire Project)